New study of academic success shows how kids can succeed

Published: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 5:11 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 5:11 p.m.

A student's road to academic success begins with early childhood education — long before he or she steps into a kindergarten classroom.

But for many Marion County children, especially those living in low-income, single-parent homes, the odds of getting off to a sound academic start is stacked against them.

That's part of the preliminary findings of the Public Policy Institute of Marion County's yearlong study, "A Promise to the Future: How Can Our Community Maximize Academic Success for All Children?"

The PPI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group housed at the College of Central Florida. The institute, founded in 1999, is dedicated to improving Marion County's quality of life.

Marybeth Kyle, a retired CF associate professor of early childhood learning and the PPI's coordinator, brought together three of her former students to chair the study last September.

On Wednesday, the group shared its basic findings with a group of educators and businesspeople at CF's Klein Center.

Officials outlined the basic hurdles many children are facing. It will release its recommendations on how to solve those problems when a full report is released in August.

One chairwoman, Judi Zanetti, the executive director of the Public Education Foundation of Marion County, said the study identified three issues that affect early learning of Marion County's pre-kindergarten students.

The study found that health, family structure and pre-kindergarten education quality are the biggest roadblocks that small children face annually.

Another chairwoman, Brandi Cooney, the public relations and business development director for Childhood Development Services, said the study found that a child's health is also a key component to a child's success.

Officials noted that 17.6 percent of Marion County residents qualify for food stamps, 65 percent of children qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, and 22 percent of homes do not have adequate food.

The final chairwoman, Heidi Maier, a CF associate professor of early childhood education, said research also revealed that family structure and income can be detractors in getting kindergartners ready for school.

Consider that 85 percent of Marion County households make less than $50,000 per year, 2,200 children are homeless, and 39 percent of children in Florida live in single-parent households.

"If parents are worried about putting a roof over the heads of their children, they will not read the 20 minutes a day their children need," Maier said.

As a result of the challenges that many families face, nearly one-third of Marion County children cannot recognize letters, numbers and colors when they start kindergarten — considered the minimum to be school ready.

The guest speaker at Wednesday's meeting was David Lawrence, a retired newspaper publisher turned child advocate. Lawrence is the chairman of the Children's Movement of Florida.

"Today you have heard the preliminary outline of the findings of a study that is, in my estimation, the most important study you could possibly do," Lawrence told the audience.

Lawrence said early education is vital, considering that "85 percent of brain growth occurs by age 3, 30 percent of children start school behind, and then most of them get even further behind" as years goes by.

"Children with momentum in first grade, chances are, will have momentum all their lives," he said. "Children without momentum get triaged and tracked in school — and pay a lifelong price. So do we all."

Lawrence said that for children to succeed, "we need knowledgeable, nurturing, loving parents."

Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or joe.callahan@starbenner.com. Follow him Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.

<p>A student's road to academic success begins with early childhood education — long before he or she steps into a kindergarten classroom.</p><p>But for many Marion County children, especially those living in low-income, single-parent homes, the odds of getting off to a sound academic start is stacked against them.</p><p>That's part of the preliminary findings of the Public Policy Institute of Marion County's yearlong study, "A Promise to the Future: How Can Our Community Maximize Academic Success for All Children?"</p><p>The PPI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group housed at the College of Central Florida. The institute, founded in 1999, is dedicated to improving Marion County's quality of life.</p><p>Marybeth Kyle, a retired CF associate professor of early childhood learning and the PPI's coordinator, brought together three of her former students to chair the study last September.</p><p>On Wednesday, the group shared its basic findings with a group of educators and businesspeople at CF's Klein Center.</p><p>Officials outlined the basic hurdles many children are facing. It will release its recommendations on how to solve those problems when a full report is released in August.</p><p>One chairwoman, Judi Zanetti, the executive director of the Public Education Foundation of Marion County, said the study identified three issues that affect early learning of Marion County's pre-kindergarten students.</p><p>The study found that health, family structure and pre-kindergarten education quality are the biggest roadblocks that small children face annually.</p><p>Another chairwoman, Brandi Cooney, the public relations and business development director for Childhood Development Services, said the study found that a child's health is also a key component to a child's success.</p><p>Health issues — lack of dental care, high obesity rates and poor nutrition — drastically affect a young child's ability to learn. Toothaches, sluggishness and empty stomachs throttle a child's ability to learn.</p><p>Officials noted that 17.6 percent of Marion County residents qualify for food stamps, 65 percent of children qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, and 22 percent of homes do not have adequate food.</p><p>The final chairwoman, Heidi Maier, a CF associate professor of early childhood education, said research also revealed that family structure and income can be detractors in getting kindergartners ready for school.</p><p>Consider that 85 percent of Marion County households make less than $50,000 per year, 2,200 children are homeless, and 39 percent of children in Florida live in single-parent households.</p><p>"If parents are worried about putting a roof over the heads of their children, they will not read the 20 minutes a day their children need," Maier said.</p><p>As a result of the challenges that many families face, nearly one-third of Marion County children cannot recognize letters, numbers and colors when they start kindergarten — considered the minimum to be school ready.</p><p>The guest speaker at Wednesday's meeting was David Lawrence, a retired newspaper publisher turned child advocate. Lawrence is the chairman of the Children's Movement of Florida.</p><p>"Today you have heard the preliminary outline of the findings of a study that is, in my estimation, the most important study you could possibly do," Lawrence told the audience.</p><p>Lawrence said early education is vital, considering that "85 percent of brain growth occurs by age 3, 30 percent of children start school behind, and then most of them get even further behind" as years goes by.</p><p>"Children with momentum in first grade, chances are, will have momentum all their lives," he said. "Children without momentum get triaged and tracked in school — and pay a lifelong price. So do we all."</p><p>Lawrence said that for children to succeed, "we need knowledgeable, nurturing, loving parents."</p><p><i>Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or joe.callahan@starbenner.com. Follow him Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.</i></p>